Ma Lin’s dreams of becoming a renowned pianist ended agonisingly when he lost his right arm to a bear bite, but with a display of sheer determination he has become one of the faces of Paralympic table tennis.
The 34-year-old Para athlete has won four Paralympic golds (three team and one individual) and one silver (individual) for China since Beijing 2008, before moving to Australia in 2017.
After changing affiliation, he won two silver medals representing the Oceanic country at the Tokyo Games and on Saturday he completed the medal count by taking bronze, having to settle for third place after losing to Frenchman Lucas Didier in the completely packed Porte de Versailles venue.
Ma was visibly upset after the defeat and with good reason, having been ahead twice before being subdued by Didier.
“It’s tough,” said coach Alois Rosario, speaking on behalf of Ma, who does not speak English. “It was a tough game.”
“I was the favourite so it’s tough on the biggest stage, but Lucas played incredibly today,” he added.
The result was harsh, but nothing compared to the traumatic incident that the para-athlete suffered at the age of five, when he went with a friend to a zoo near his home in China.
“I thought (the bear) was my friend because I used to go to the zoo every week to feed it,” Ma told Australia’s New Corp in 2021. “So I decided to go over and pet it, but I guess it wasn’t in a good mood that day.”
Ma reached through the cage barriers with her arm, and the bear responded by biting above the elbow.
“It was a shock, but I didn’t cry, not even once,” she adds.
Long road ahead
The surgeon saved his life, although it required amputating his arm, but for the young man there was only one other question on his mind when he woke up after the operation.
“I just wanted to know if I could still have a girlfriend when I was older,” said Ma, whose hobby is diving.
“They (his parents) said ‘of course’, so I was happy.”
The life-changing journey was inspired by the success of the Chinese delegation at the 1996 Olympics, with eight medals (four gold) in table tennis. But having been right-handed until the accident, the first hurdle was adjusting to being competent with his left arm.
This decision proved to be an excellent one, with some eye-catching play and excellent service. The medals have demonstrated Ma’s wide range of skills, whose journey does not end in Paris.
Paraphrasing his hero Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film ‘Terminator’, he announces that he will “be back.”
“He’s talking about Brisbane 2032, so he’s got a long way to go,” Rosario said. “He’s getting better. He’s improved a lot of aspects of his game.”
Rosario says that Ma has done wonders with the life he has had, and that he seeks to continue expanding his legendary status and his personal medal tally.
“He’s still active and has a long road ahead of him, I hope,” he said.
“But yes, he’s already achieved a lot in his life on the table. He’s used to the ups and downs, so he’s got a long way to go.”
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